A hydraulic valve directs the flow of a liquid medium, usually oil, through a hydraulic system. The direction of the oil flow is determined by the position of a movable element such as a spool or a poppet. An example valve may have the movable element inside a housing or sleeve. For instance, the valve may include a poppet that is movable by an actuation mechanism (e.g., electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, or manual). The poppet may be seated on a valve seat formed inside the housing. Once the valve is actuated, the poppet moves off the seat to allow flow around the poppet from an inlet port to an outlet port.